Clothing construction for infant wear



Dec. 31, 1968 J. N. BROWN 3,418,659

CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION FOR INFANT WEAR Filed Oct. 17, 1967 IN VEN TOR. Jon/WE N BROWN United States Patent 1 3,418,659 CLOTHING CONSTRUCTION FOR INFANT WEAR Joanne N. Brown, 40 Robin Road, Rumson, NJ. 07760 Filed Oct. 17, 1967, Ser. No. 675,932 Claims. c1. 2 70) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Waterproof pants for infants, comprising tab means for establishing a moistureproof connection with the hold-down straps of an infants shirt.

This invention relates generally to a novel construction of moistureproof pants adapted to be worn over an infants diapers, and more specifically to means provided on the said pants for establishing a moistureproof connection with the hold-down straps Which are conventionally provided on the infants shirts and the like.

Hold-down straps of the type referred to above are quite commonly provided on infants shirts, either by being sewed in position by the manufacturer or by being added after purchase. They comprise simply strips of cloth usually sewn at one end to the underside of the shirt front immediately above the waist and depending downwardly therefrom for attachment by safety pins to the diapers. These serve to hold the lower portion of the shirt in position and obviate any tendency for the shirt to creep up over the normally rotund abdomen of an infant, thereby leaving an exposed midriff section. In spite of the advantages thus obtained, there has been a major drawback in the use of such hold-down straps in that they are usually formed of a porous woven fabric. Thus the moisture accumulated by the diaper tends to fiow upwardly through these straps by capillary action to virtually saturate the infants shirt. Various expedients have been adopted in an effort to overcome these diificulties. For example, straps have been formed of a non-porous material but these have been general-1y unsuitable in manufacture and use. In some instances, the straps have been attached by safety pins directly to the infants pants but this necessarily involves puncturing the pans with the attendant disadvantages of leakage.

Accordingly, the primary objective of the present invention is to provide a satisfactory means for connecting the lower portion of an infants shirt or the like to a pair of waterproof pants.

Another primary object is to provide such a connection between an infants shirt and waterproof pants without running the risk of having moisture from the infants diapers communicated either through hold-down straps to the shirt or through holes in the shirts themselves.

A further object is to provide a construction for infants waterproof pants incorporating a convenient means for attachment to the conventional hold-down straps which are provided on infants shirts.

Still another object is to provide a construction of the type described which is not unsightly in appearance but which is convenient in use and economical in manufacture.

Other objects and adavntages will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a pair of infants waterproof pants incor orating the novel features of the present invention and being shown as partially connected to the hold-down straps of a shirt; and

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view disclosing a modified form of pants construction of the same general type as disclosed in FIG. 1.

Referring now more specifically to the invention the numeral 1 has been used to generally indicate an infants shirt of essentially conventional construction including a pair of hold-down or suspender straps 3. The hold-down straps are secured in spaced relation on the inner surface of the shirt front, as by sewing at a point immediately above the lowermost or skirt portion 5 of the shirt. The straps 3 extend downwardly and are provided adjacent their lower end portion with conventional female snap fastener elements 7. It should be noted that in conventional constructions the skirt portion 5 extends somewhat below the lowermost edges of the hold-down straps 3.

Referring further to FIG. 1 the infants waterproof pants 9 are of a generally conventional design and construction, being either formed entirely of waterproof material or else having an inner liner of such material. In this instance, however, two tab members 11 of waterproof material are provided on the inner surface of the pants 9 at the front of the waistband. The tab members 11 may be formed of the same waterproof material as the pants themselves or their liner and may be either integrally formed or attached by any suitable means. The tab members 11 extend upwardly from the waistband portion of the pants and are provided with male snap fastener elements 13 for interconnection with the corresponding elements 7 on the hold-down straps.

In use it will be seen that the foregoing construction is extremely convenient. The pants 9 are placed on the diapered infant and the shirt 1 is put on in the usual manner. It is then a simple matter of snap fastening the hold-down straps 3 to the tabs 11. Once in position there is no possibility for the moisture in the in-fants diapers to be communicated to the shirt.

The modification of FIG. 2 involves another conventional type of waterproof pants construction 20 wherein the pants are split along either side, being releasably interconnected when installed by conventional snap fastener connections mounted on a reinforced border section 2.1. Pursuant to the present invention the border sections 21 are each extended upwardly to provide connecting tabs 22 which in turn carry male snap fastener elements 23.

The foregoing specification and the drawings are presented by way of illustration only and not by way of limitation. It will readily be appreciated that numerous changes can be made in the construction, materials and design of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A clothing construction for infant Wear, comprising: a pair of diaper pants having at least an inner liner of waterproof material; a shirt having at least one holddown strap secured at one end to the inner surface of its front portion, the other end of said strap extending downwardly inside of said front portion; at least one connectin g tab of waterproof material secured at one end thereof to the front of said pants, the other end of said tab extending upwardly beyond the top of said pants and toward the corresponding one of said hold-down straps; and means for releasably securing said tab to said strap.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a snap-fastener connection.

3. A construction as defined in claim 2 wherein two of said hold-down straps are provided, one being positioned on either side of the front portion of said shirt 53 and wherein two tab members are provided in corresponding aligned positions on said pants.

4. A construction as defined in claim 3 wherein said tabs are secured in position along the upper edge of said pants.

5. A construction as defined in claim 3 wherein said pants are split vertically on either side thereof and said References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/ 1916 Lelansky 2-70 11/1955 Connors 2-112 1/1965 Wells 2-112 RICHARD J. SCANLAN, 111., Primary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

